Real Heroes: Fighterfighter is unquestionably the finest fire-fighting game I've ever played, but that isn't saying much given how this isn't exactly a budding genre.

While the gameplay is interesting at its core, with only the single player and a skirmish mode included, a multiplayer tank battle mode would have been an awesome and more than welcome addition.

Despite the game generally being the same as it was the last few times I played it, the PSP version pulled me right back in as if it were a completely new experience, and I didn’t want to let go.

You do not get a whole lot of replay value from it however...if you took this game to work with you and you work a 9 to 5 shift...you could be done before the day is over...you might even be done before lunch.

If you have "College Hoops" and enjoy it, you really should fight the urge to spend a few bucks even on a rental of March Madness 07. It just doesn’t hold up well, and is nowhere near as deep or as enjoyable as its competition.

The only title on the PlayStation that can keep me in front of my television for 12+ hours straight!

The lesson here is that just because the license is for kids, the game doesn't have to be. There's a reason this sort of gameplay has been around for over 25 years: it works, whether you're a green squirrel or an @. And Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is the game to prove it.

The best video game adaptation to date of the live action Transformers movie. The bad news is that it’s still not saying much.

Unfortunately, for adults, the core tennis game doesn’t present any real challenge. This is one best purchased for the kids.

Nerf: N-Strike Elite is an obvious cash in for both EA and Hasbro but at the same time, it's well done, fast paced, entertaining cash in that comes with an awesome Nerf blaster.

Ultimately, this is the type of title that will live in my handheld for months, like Honeycomb Beat and Planet Puzzle League before it – a simple, wildly addictive puzzler with great presentation and a boatload of content. It brings a nice twist to a classic game, looks great in 3D, and totally distracted me from the massive release field this October – not bad for a "little port" from Japan.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is a fun, simple blast-a-thon that goes a little beyond typical twin-stick shooter mechanics with its classes and upgrade system and it takes place in one of the coolest settings in all of gaming.

There's a total of eight rounds, and the story is still genius (if you like extremely quirky non-sequitors), but I don't feel like I'm getting a new game. More like Parappa Version 1.2.

Despite a few new twists to the core gameplay, its middling graphics and its lacking features drag it down from what could have been a must buy for fans of ancient era city builders to yet another game that fails to advance the genre in any real and meaningful way.

Despite a litany of grievances, the multiplayer is at least moderately entertaining and I do think that die hard Castlevania fans will get some mileage out of it.

Occasionally you'll get the chance to move on and actually fight monsters, but it seems like forever and a day in between those moments.

Clipping is bad, commentary isn't very good, and there are really weird graphical bugs that occur quite frequently while playing.

A difficult to master user interface combined with gameplay that was already too difficult on the PC make for strange bedfellows.

Despite all of these somewhat questionable design issues, the title does deliver a rather enjoyable hop n’ bop experience that can easily burn a few hours without demanding too much investment of cerebral activity.

From the perspective of a comic fan, DC Universe Online is a pretty stellar win. It's big and grand and isn't afraid to make players feel like they're the star of an epic comic story. From a gamer's perspective, though, it still needs some work on the technical to be truly great and playing on the PS3 has its own set of limitations.

If you’ve absolutely positively have to have a tennis game for your PlayStation 2, check out eBay for "Sega Sports Tennis."

What makes this game rise above its humble beginnings are the tons of unlockable characters and the six different environments.

LEGO Star Wars III is a perfectly competent LEGO game, neither excellent nor dismal, just simply there. It has all of the things you'd expect from a LEGO game, however they never gel into a game that's better than its parts. I would imagine die hard fans of the series will find more there than I did, but I suspect that most people will remember the game for being a 3DS launch game rather than being an exemplary LEGO game.

Sure, the graphics that I fell in love with are still there, but why'd they have to make this game so damn hard?

Ultimately, East India Company is a wonderful idea with a lot of great gameplay, but there’s a lot of missteps; too many, really.

A nice beat 'em up that is pleasant to look at, offers a wide variety of different moves and chracters and a nice two-player co-op mode that makes the game a lot more valuable to adults and kids that want to pal around Gotham as their favorite super hero.

The strategy elements fall short and are only as important as you choose to make them, but the combination of brutal action and customizable crews is reason enough to warrant a play-through.

Even with its quirks and bugs, NFL Head Coach 09 is the type of game that will silently siphon away hours of your free time. Sitting down at night after the family has gone to bed to get in an hour or so of game time only to discover that all of a sudden it’s the middle of the night and your eyes are straining.

The mark of a really good game isn't that it is without flaw. Every game has its weaker elements. Most good games, however, have at least one core game mechanic that they do exceptionally well. It's that lack of anything on which to hang its hat, combined with a few places where it really falls on its face, that hold Two Worlds II back from being particularly interesting.

The PS3 version also offers SIXAXIS support, but like many other games that support it, it doesn't add all that much to the overall experience.

This is a gorgeous, unique, emotion-filled game. It looks and sounds great, and I dare you to find another game that makes you misty-eyed as often as this one does.

Dewy’s Adventure is too simple for experienced gamers, placing far more emphasis on its “hey, neato!” motion sensitive controls than on actual gameplay.

You actually have to use EVERY button on the controller, pretty much all at the same time, or at least be able to access them quickly. The Xbox controller is large and the buttons are small, the game action moves fast. You do the math.

An all too familiar Sega story: a refreshing new take on an old genre, featuring great control, sharp graphics, but crippled by lack of depth.

Barring one heck of a patch from 2k Sports, there’s no magic pill to cure all that ails this game. The legacy of developer 2k Los Angeles (formerly Kush Games) continues to be the delivery of high-potential but brutally flawed games that lack considerable polish.

The new and improved Turok is easily the best since it left its roots on the Nintendo 64. Even though the title takes great liberties with some of the lore it manages to retain its integrity while at the same time delivering on a completely over the top albeit predictable experience.

Is it harder? Absolutely—but it's also not nearly as much fun, the witty banter between the Prince and Elika is gone, and the ending leaves the player, and the Prince, wondering just what all of the effort was for. Combine that with the short play time (about two hours) and the recycled enemies and you're left thinking that your ten bucks could have been better spent elsewhere.

Overall, Smash-Up doesn't break any new ground, adhering to the groundwork laid by Smash Bros., albeit with less content and less polished gameplay.

The stability problems really detract from the experience.

If Gamerscore records and leaderboards are that important to you, then go wild. Otherwise, save your money for the next Xbox Live Arcade game.

I would pick True Swing Golf over Tiger just due to it’s innovative stylus swinging system.

The best video game adaptation to date of the live action Transformers movie. The bad news is that it’s still not saying much.

The spiritual possession adventure/puzzle solving aspects of the game were very fun and refreshing. Unfortunately the game's engine just could not quite deliver on the other elements of the game that strung it all together.

With the storyline mode alone, it adds many hours to the game play. You will not just sit down and play it through on a single sitting rather you will be drawn back over and over to play it.

While a solid lightgun game in the classical sense, Time Crisis: Crisis Zone just does not offer enough innovation to highly recommend it if the player already owns previous games in the franchise.

A satisfactory diversion on the PSP that’s hampered by some control and camera issues. It could have been a lot more fun.

Online and offline multiplayer gives Zombie Apocalypse a little extra pulse, but not enough to invigorate the burden of repetition.

At the end of the day Shadowrun can be fun if you ignore the poor use of the brand on which it is based and the intermittent connectivity problems.

ASB shines in every aspect, from its detailed, lifelike graphics to the in-depth stat tracking. All of the character animations are silky smooth.

The mechanics are solid, the quest is meaty, the graphics and animation are beautiful, and the world is a pure pleasure to spend time in. Plus, we're talking about a game based on the voyage of discovery of a badass little girl with an octopus for an arm – what's not to like?

Evil Dead Regeneration is all in all a fun and funny game to play, definitely the best Evil Dead game to date, and even with the very apparent bugs and rather short game play time, there is only one word to describe this game. Groovy.

It’s overpriced and undervalued.

Theatre of War ultimately ends up being a “nice try”. There is too little feedback and too little variety for its size to recommend it to hardcore wargamers and it’s too frustrating on too many levels to recommend to the neophyte.

Its sexuality comes off as more silly than really erotic and, if there wasn't actually a decent wrestling game under it all, it would be as disposable as yesterday's newspaper.

After you get past the learning curve of the controls and the darkness of the graphics, the game is definitely worth checking out. Even with the exclusion of the multiplayer features, the single player adventure will be enough to satisfy the average gamer.

This game has the basics down with good gameplay and excellent controls. What it's missing is the icing; the graphics and sound to back up that gameplay.

It’s a fairly formulaic plot, but an interesting one nonetheless.

The port job itself is incomplete at best with the Xbox 360-centric prompts and sluggish performance, and if they are fixed in a future patch, which Capcom says is coming soon, the title is easily recommendable.

It’s not a “sim for dummies” by any means, but compared to some of the other games in the genre, it is a bit skimpy in the depth department.

The game isn't bad but it does have a very narrow focus on Apache helicopter combat.

The first console software package to offer these games since they originally appeared on the 2600, so in a way it represents history itself. The arcade games also offer some of the best play experiences from the days when arcades were king. It's a great package that should be in any serious gamer's collection.

However, if you are a fan of the Mission: Impossible movies and of stealth games such as "Splinter Cell" and in general, then you will want to check this out if for nothing more than seeing what the IMF team is up to nowadays.

The game's worst offense is that it never requires that you exert effort. Without side quests, challenging battles and grueling dungeons, the game almost plays itself.

The replay value is solely in trying to beat the game with progressively more difficult characters, as the multiplayer component isn't going to keep anyone captivated for long.

After the unique visuals and fresh implementation of standard and advanced features, the most compelling reason to get your hands on Auto Modellista is for its online multiplayer racing capabilities.

The same old stuff in a new skin and THE WORLD'S WORST LOADING TIME EVER.

The U.S. version uses some over-the-top acting that borders on being agitating.

Identity issues aside Universe at War has a great concept, and is commendable for not only it’s control scheme but also in that it has three distinctly unique sides and not one of them is the human faction crutch that plagues the genre. At the same time the title has many technical flaws.

Like a spiny armband of black ink needled in at the end of a bender, Fuel is the tragic result of spontaneity without foresight, and design without inspiration.

I’d definitely recommend a rental before plunking down the hard-earned green for this $60 purchase. It is just barely above average with a C+ score.

Evil Under the Sun suffers from a variety of flaws, glaring and otherwise, but its biggest is that it simply fails to truly draw the player into its world and offers gameplay that is tedious, derivative, and ultimately forgettable.

The most difficult part for most will be getting used to using the shoulder buttons to turn Frogger. Most people are used to simply using the d-Pad to do this in most other games, so using a different method might be hard to get used to. But if you can get past that, Frogger offers a myriad of different and fun activities that both kids and adults can enjoy.

In every game, I reach a point where I start to wonder why I am still playing. I literally have more money than I know what to do with. With a successfully, healthy business, it certainly feels like the main goal has been achieved. But ultimately, Patrician is less about money than it is about the convergence of wealth, power, and influence.

Until then, I'm still going to say this game is definitely worth a look - just be aware of what you're getting into before forking over the extra cash for the nigh-indefinite-length subscription options they offer.

The limited ways to play ultimately causes the game to get tedious and the AI can't even pretend to measure up to the human element that makes poker so interesting.

That’s how I felt after playing the game: that I didn’t really do anything. I’m a big fan of the books – a bit less so of the films, and the games still fail to remotely live up to either.

All I wanted from King Arthur II was more of the great lore mixed with a degree of difficulty that was challenging but not sadistic and better tactical battles. I got the great lore.

It's a great game, with good graphics, immersive storyline and an overall appeal that I can't ignore.

It's hard to get sucked into a game when playing it on a three inch screen and even more difficult to be scared of a monster that's no bigger than your thumb. Obscure: The Aftermath doesn't do much to turn the tide in this regard, and if a survival borror game doesn’t give you chills, then what’s the point?

Monotony complaints aside, Serious Sam Double D's wacky world, crazy weapons, oddball humor and entertaining environments will keep you chuckin' and duckin' through time with Sam. Well, at least until the shine wears off.

Even with its short length, lack of proper bosses, and unimpressive leaderboards, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 is the type of intense, man-tested Schwarzenegger-approved, dose of destruction that XBLA needs more of - it won’t replace AAA shooters like "Gears of War" or "Call of Duty 4," but it doesn’t have to. Sometimes a quick, callous display of military mayhem is all you need to feel like a hero.

Street Racing Syndicate might have been received as a pretty good game a year or so ago, but now it does not stack up to the competition – even with the racing cuties.

A passable horror survival game that brings one or two nice touches to the table but mostly follows old conventions of a genre that has moved on and evolved.

You’re left with a light filler card game that has nowhere near the staying power of the other board game ports that are on XBL.

It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of its console counterpart, but if you need a portable NASCAR fix, this game will do.

The pleasing presentation and interesting monster management elements are enough to keep you playing, but you’ll constantly be annoyed with the dialogue and the plodding pace of battles.

Hegemony otherwise does a good job of capturing the nature of war in this time period.

Even if you can get over the sheer stupidity of making Sonic a big, brawny “Werehog”, and even if the janky, overly finicky platforming doesn’t put you off, answer me this: who the hell wants to brawl in a Sonic game?

The overall feeling of blandness still saturates the gameplay despite how much the art direction tries to spice things up, and it's a burden that the game never truly shakes.

While an older player will quickly get bored with this title, I think this is a great game for families with kids.

Rotastic is a good game that through a couple of poor choices limited its own potential. Its premise is simple but engaging and developer Dancing Dots builds effectively upon that premise throughout the first half of the game. Unfortunately, past that point, unforgiving level design combined with unwieldy controls make for a gaming experience that's ultimately So-So-tastic.

Give this throwaway a miss and pick up a five dollar copy of 2006's Burnout: Revenge instead.

This is a game that tells a story that's meaningful only to people who have played all of the games beforehand, but does so with repetitive, sometimes frustrating gameplay.

Superstars V8 Racing is a decent enough racer for the price, it looks great, and it's got enough content that you won't feel cheated for spending $20 as you wait for Sony's behemoth.

A surprisingly deep RTS experience in a portable format, with easy to learn controls and lovely visuals. I can’t help wishing it had been turned-based, though.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is a cute little farm simulation game with some decent additional features. However, even with the new features, it’s still too similar to past games in the series so if you have played these games in the past and they didn’t take, this won’t recharge your farming batteries – but dedicated fans should get their money’s worth.

This is easily worth the $30, especially if you happen to have friends over on a regular basis.

They had to reach back to Berzerk’s, one-stick control scheme and then tack on a bunch of button presses to achieve what could have been done just by using both of the Dual Shock’s analog sticks.